Three million people have resorted to DIY dentistry according to new research by the consumer watchdog, Which?

A quarter of those attempting to care for their own teeth have tried to pull a tooth out with pliers and more than one in ten have tied string around the tooth and a door handle to remove it.

Another 11 per cent have used household glue to stick down a crown or filling and six per cent have used chewing gum as an adhesive.

Which? carried out an online poll of 2,631 adults in England earlier this year and it is not clear why people tried DIY dentistry, whether it is because they could not find an dentist or because they had a fear of professional treatment.

Which? health campaigner, Jenny Driscoll, said: "This research shows the desperate measures people will resort to. Everyone should have access to good quality dental treatment so it's worrying to see so many people resorting to doing it themselves.

"It's not just the thought of going to the dentist that can bring us out in a cold sweat. For many, actually getting good treatment can be a real ordeal. Which? wants to get to the root of the problem by hearing people's stories about going to the dentist."

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The online survey out on a representative sample of adults and they were asked if they had ever attempted DIY dentistry with eight per cent answering yes and a further eight per cent saying they knew someone who had. Which? extrapolated the results of the survey to the adult population of England.

The survey was part of a wider questionnaire about NHS dentistry and the result of this have not been released yet.

Chief Dental Officer Barry Cockcroft said: "These findings come from an online multiple choice survey that has no statistical credibility. It is ludicrous to suggest that three million people are doing DIY dentistry.

"DIY dentistry is dangerous and unnecessary. Thanks to our investment of over £2 billion in NHS dentistry, there are now lots of new NHS dental practices expanding and opening around the country."